


Sousuke and the Toaster

by momothesweet



Category: Free!
Genre: Crack, Crying, Dreams, Hallucinations, Humor, M/M, what happens when Sousuke drinks too many red bulls and stays late at the pool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-03-03 17:57:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2859842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momothesweet/pseuds/momothesweet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sousuke contemplates his dreams and receives inspiration from an essential kitchen appliance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sousuke and the Toaster

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a conversation I had on shamchat (as Sousuke) with a toaster and a conversation with my friend Meghan (fallinlovewithaflyingukulele.tumblr.com). I...uh...yeah.
> 
> Enjoy.

Sousuke stared down the toaster, watching the bread heat slowly to become toast.

“Oh toaster,” he said softly, “you have dreams too, don’t you?”

A beat passed and Sousuke knew he was just talking to a kitchen appliance. He turned around to grab the tea kettle on the stove, but froze when he heard something speak.

“Well, yeah,” it said.

Sousuke slowly turned back to the toaster, and put his hand on the surface but immediately retracted, as it was hot from toasting.

“I can’t have toasting be my only career.”

Sousuke felt his heart race, and looked longingly at the toaster. “What else do you want to do?”

“I want to be a more broad usage for other culinary fields,” the toaster answered. “Move on to lunch and dinner. Be a master at gourmet cuisine.”

“That sounds nice.”

“What about you?”

Sousuke held his breath and held onto the counter tightly. He felt his shoulder brace constrict and make him more uncomfortable.

“I really wanted to go into professional swimming with...my boyfriend,” Sousuke said. He wasn’t afraid of the word anymore. Rin was his boyfriend.

“But I hurt my shoulder really badly,” he continued, “and now I don’t know what I want to do.”

He did his best to fight back tears. He coughed, and turned away from the toaster.

“You have to keep pressing on, my friend,” the toaster said. “Don’t let one thing stop the dream you are passionate about. Take a chance to reflect, then spread your wings and soar.”

It took a moment to process what the toaster said to him. He didn’t want those words to pass through his head, because he knew very well that he was right. He even thought of that one swimmer from Iwatobi, the one with the blue hair and glasses...Rei? Was that his name? He shook off the thoughts and turned back to the toaster.

“You’re right,” Sousuke said. “This is beautiful advice. Thank you.”

“Anytime, my friend,” toaster said as it popped out golden brown pieces of glory. “Any time.”

A single tear ran down Sousuke’s face and he gently took the toast out of the toaster. That single tear turned into a river, letting the advice sink into him as he kneeled down and rested his head on the counter. As he sobbed before the helpful kitchen appliance, he heard shuffling at the foot of the kitchen. He sniffled at the blurry sight of a person, hair messily tied and pajamas sitting low at the waist.

“Sousuke?”

Rin rubbed his eyes open as he sleepily tried to gaze at the half-hysterical boy in front of him.

“Sousuke?” Rin said again. “What’s wrong?”

Sousuke cried even harder, thinking about the toaster’s words again and lowering himself onto the floor. “IF THE TOASTER CAN FOLLOW ITS DREAMS THEN SO CAN I!”

Rin, probably confused from waking up so early and seeing Sousuke in this state, patted him on the good shoulder. “No more Red Bulls and late night swim meets for you. Let’s go to bed.”

“HE’S A BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER, RIN,” Sousuke shouted through his crying. “ _THE_ BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER. HE’S REAL!”

Rin groaned, and found the tea kettle sitting on the stove. He picked it up and felt that it was already filled and heated. The mug with the tea bag sat next to the toast, soaked with Sousuke’s tears. A little grossed out and a lot more tired, he poured the water over the tea bag in the mug. After a little bit of searching through the cabinets, he grabbed Sousuke’s prescription sleeping pills, and crushed two into the tea.

“Here,” Rin said softly, sitting down with him. “Drink this.”

Still sniffling, Sousuke took the cup. “You put my sleeping pills in this, didn’t you?”

Rin hesitated. “N-no...I didn’t. Come on, hon. Come back to bed.”

Sousuke wiped his face and took a sip of the tea. “Okay.”

It took a minute for the two to get up. Rin guided Sousuke out of the kitchen, but before Sousuke complied, he got one last look at the toaster.

“Thanks, buddy.”

Sousuke walked away with Rin, but not without hearing a faint, final response from his newfound kitchen friend.

“I believe in you.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wish I had an explanation but I don't.
> 
> Comments, kudos, and suggestions are always appreciated :)


End file.
